Tip of My Iceberg

We had the privilege of combining business with pleasure on a trip to Washington DC–a long-awaited visit with our daughter and her family there. We spent an afternoon wandering around an area in northern Virginia, finding a play area that was like nothing I’d ever seen.

It looked like a human hamster home with half wheels instead of full ones.

A very simple structure that looked like a cage for rodents.

And the kids loved it. They crawled around, over, and through it with grins of pleasure on their faces. Even though the day was cold, coats were thrown on the grass and the kids were running throughout the enclosure.

Cages don’t necessarily destroy freedom.

Sometimes they point the way to freedom.

Moses was a reluctant leader who’d experienced defeat and humiliation in Egypt. He then spent forty years in the northwestern part of Arabia, outside the perview of Egypt, watching over sheep and goats.

Hiding in shame.

God called him to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt. The Israelites had been held captive for 430 years, enslaved, the major work force of Pharaoh.

Moses was more than reluctant. He said no several times.

When he acquiesced, God emboldened him and used him to inflict ten plagues on Egypt, which led to Pharaoh’s allowing them to leave.

Pharaoh soon had second thoughts. He went after his departing work force.

When the Israelites saw the approaching Egyptian army, they panicked–and got mad.

“They said to Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” Exodus 14:11-12

The Israelites felt caged in, fearful of what could happen, scared of what they didn’t know. Slavery sounded better than the hope they couldn’t imagine.

God knew their fears and frustrations. He had better ideas for them.

“But Moses told the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.’” Exodus 14:13-14

Life will always crowd us and make us feel trapped in problems, frustrations, or emotional upheavals. Caging us in with the darkness of our fears.

God frees us if we wait on Him to free us, to fight for us.

No cages allowed.